offutt



(No Model.)

W. N. OFFUTT.

NUT LOOK.

Patented Sept. 24, 1889.

YVILLIAM N. OF

UNITE STAT S rmcn.

PATENT FUT'T, OF KEYSER, VEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO I. ROBERT PORTNESS, OF SAME PLACE.

NUT-LOCK.

SPECIFICATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 411,674, dated September 24, 1889.

Application filed March 19, 1389. fierialNo. 303,879. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern: Be it known that I, \VILLIAM N. OFFUTT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Keyser, in the county of Mineral, State of Vest Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lock-Nuts, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The object of my invention is to provide a safety lock-nut which shall be easily removable, if desired, without a wrench, and which shall nevertheless be absolutely locked when brought into any desired position.

To this end I have constructed my device as described and shown in the following specification, and with such novel features as are particularly set forth in the claims at the end of the same.

In the. drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of my bolt and nut separated, showing the form of the end of the bolt, and also showing the spring for the working of the ratchet of the lock. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my bolt, showing a portion of the same in section, with the nut also in section, in place at the end of said bolt. Fig. 3 is a transverse section at right angles to the axis of the bolt on the line a Fig. at is an end view of the bolt with the nut thereon, showing the openings of the spiral grooves cut in the end of the bolt.

A is a bolt made after my invention, and said bolt is shaped as shown in Fig 1-namely, with spiral grooves and with a rack. These are disposed. as follows:

The principle of my invention is the running of a boss, peg, or'projection C in the bolt in a spiral groove out according to the form of said boss, as at B in Fig. 1. It is immaterial from the standpoint of this principle whether there is one groove or more than one. As shown in the drawings, there are two of these grooves, as shown at the openings thereof, at B in Figs. 3 and 4;; but I wish it distinctly understood that in claiming one groove 1 consider the use of two such grooves as falling under this claim. These grooves are usually made larger than the ordinary square female threads; but the form is similar and the function is identical. These grooves have openings B, more or less nearly parallel to the axis of the bolt, in order to facilitate the insertion of the bosses G into these grooves. Parallel with the groove 13 is the row of indented or fluted recesses B forming a raclc for the holding of the ratchet, to be de scribed further on. Of course the direction of the groove 13 is ordinarily right-handed, and in this case the right-hand contactsurfaces of the rack-teeth are more orless nearly radial, in order that they may oppose a proper resistance to the passage of the ratchet over their tops. In whichever direction the grooves or the groove advances in the same direction these contact-faces of the teeth will be radial or approach to that position.

lVithin the bore of the bolt there project two bosses O, which may be integral with the nut G, or may be projected through the sides of the same, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. These bosses are intended for fitting into the spiral grooves 13, and they may be placed in the positions shown or within the bore of the bolt in any number, it being nuderstood that one groove is the equivalent of any number of the same kind. Of course where there are more than one groove the bosses must be so spaced that they will enter with ease into the said grooves, as shown. Also projecting through the side of said nut and into the bore of the same is the ratchetdog D which is attached to the spring D, which tends to keep the ratchet always forced well into the said bore. The rear end of this spring is fastened in any well-known manner to the side of the bolt-as, for instance, by the small screw D. The form of the end of the ratchet is such that as it slides over the rack 13 the said ratchet will slide over said rack during the forward motion or on screwing of the bolt-nut. It is of course not necessary that the surface of forward contact of said ratchet should be sloped with regard to the radii of the circular sections of the bolt. Said surface may be radial, and yet the slope of the teeth be such that it will slide over them, as described; or the forward contact-surface, or surface in contact during forward screwing of the teeth, on the rack, may be nearly radial, if desired, and yet the slope of the corresponding surface of the ratchet be such that they will offer but little resistance to the forward motion of said ratchet. The preferable form, however, is of course to slope both surfaces in contact during forward screwing, and thus facilitate this action of the ratchet together wit-h the rack.

In using my bolt the nut is so applied by the fingers as to allow of the presentation of the bosses to the proper entrance of the The nut is then twisted in the ordinary manner, and by the action of the spiral groove or grooves it is advanced, as in an ordinary screw, the ratchet in the meantime sliding freely over the tops of the teeth in the rack B l/Vhen' the nut is finally in place, however, any tendency to rotate it backward, and thus loosen it, is resisted by the action of the rear contact-faces of the teeth and ratchet, and this action will be the same wherever the nut is stopped, it not being at all necessary that the nut should be screwed down hard against a wash er or other substance in order that it be locked and prevented from returning.

WVhere it is not desired particularly that there should be any great degree of tightness in the nut, as in a wheel, where mynutis especially useful, said nut may be placed upon the axle by the fingers without the least danger of the return and the loosening of said nut and the wheel.

' There are various details of my invention that may be varied by the exercise of mechanical skill, and therefore I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact details shown and described.

lVhat I claim is 1. A bolt having a spiral groove at the end thereof and a rack between the convolutes of said spiral groove, substantially as shown and described.

2. A bolt having a spiral groove near the end and a spiral rack, combined with a nut having a boss to engage said groove and a dog to engage the rack, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination, with a bolt formed at one end with a spiral groove, and between the spirals of the groove with a rack, the teeth of which extend parallel with the axis of the bolt, of a nut having a boss engaging said groove, and a dog to engage said rack, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WVILLIAM N. OFFUTT.

W'itnesses:

R. B. YOWELL, J. T. CARSKADON. 

